Feedback & Reports

First time on this delightful and varied fishery. Caught more out-of-season browns than grayling. Beautiful golden-bellied and golden-finned wild browns of 6-10 inches and a 14 inch stockie that was just about the only fish that rose all day! No fly, and hardly a rise, didn't deter fish from taking a hare's ear emerger. Other fish taken on bugs and nymphs. Removed many Himalayan Balsam seeds from various parts of my anatomy when I got home - what a plague this stuff is! Thankfully those really big Arrow floods of a couple of weeks back had flattened much of it, with the downside that many of their progeny are now well downstream.

Blank, except for various grayling parr around 6 inches. A very cold, dour sort of day and I didn't manage to connect with any fish of size.

N.E. corner with very overcast skies cool and no wind. Two of us fished all day with little success except for 1 x 1.5lb rainbow on Mepps Agila 3.

Lovely windless autumn day if only the salmon realised. I soon woke up to the fact that the river contained no big silver fish, so a quick switch to the grayling rod and a gold head or 2 made for a great days sport with many fish to well over a pound. Thanks to the foundation for a great year but I will be back for the grayling provided the weather stays dry.

Having had a recce two days ago, I took a neighbour who cannot risk wading, hasn't cast a fly for over 20 years and who has never caught a grayling. The bottom section provided him with ideal access and BG caught 8 grayling - no monsters - but he was over the moon. The fish seemed rather less active than two days ago, possibly as a result of the two back to back 3 degree nights. It was certainly much colder, and the olives emerging from about 11 a.m. after the sun got up didn't elicit the same level of surface activity. Still managed to tempt 22 grayling, mainly in the 8-10 inch class but some of 12-13 inches. Taken on bugs, nymphs and a hare's ear emerger but couldn't tempt a fish with a spider!

Mon 11th October, 16.00 to 18.45. Wyebank section. River slightly coloured, 3 barbel 6-8lb, Halibut pellet on rolling ledger of one swan shot over loose halibut feed on crease of eddies.

Tues 12th October, 16.30 to 18.30. Wyebank section. 1 barbel of around 8lb at dusk. No takes on halibut or meat, tried last cast with whole processed ragworm left from sea trip, instant take, must have hit it on head!
All fish in prime condition and fins well coloured. Pike on prowl in centre section as light faded may have been cause of no bites until dusk. Goosanders and immature cormorants fishing below island.

Mon 11th October, 16.00 to 18.45. Wyebank section. River slightly coloured, 3 barbel 6-8lb, Halibut pellet on rolling ledger of one swan shot over loose halibut feed on crease of eddies.

Tues 12th October, 16.30 to 18.30. Wyebank section. 1 barbel of around 8lb at dusk. No takes on halibut or meat, tried last cast with whole processed ragworm left from sea trip, instant take, must have hit it on head!
All fish in prime condition and fins well coloured. Pike on prowl in centre section as light faded may have been cause of no bites until dusk. Goosanders and immature cormorants fishing below island.

Mon 11th October, 16.00 to 18.45. Wyebank section. River slightly coloured, 3 barbel 6-8lb, Halibut pellet on rolling ledger of one swan shot over loose halibut feed on crease of eddies.

Tues 12th October, 16.30 to 18.30. Wyebank section. 1 barbel of around 8lb at dusk. No takes on halibut or meat, tried last cast with whole processed ragworm left from sea trip, instant take, must have hit it on head!
All fish in prime condition and fins well coloured. Pike on prowl in centre section as light faded may have been cause of no bites until dusk. Goosanders and immature cormorants fishing below island.

Although the water was perhaps 1ft. higher than ideal it was quite clear and grayling were feeding eagerly throughout the day. We caught and returned over 50 grayling (and 3 trout) on various klinkhammers but also on small goldheads and "bugs". Most of the fish were 10" to 12" with a few up to 16".

But we had competition: as we were leaving we saw an otter moving in the Bathing Pool. It did not seem disturbed by us in the least and caught at least one fish in the 10 minutes we were watching before it vanished in the direction of the Gravelly Pool.

Incidentally we saw three salmon moving: one in the Erwood Pool; another at the mouth of the stream in the Cilau Run and a third in the rocks below the stream under the left hand bank. Three canoists came through in the afternoon, keeping well out of our way where we were wading, but should they have been there?

WUF Note: The canoeists shouldn't have been there - we are still within the salmon season and the level was not above the red line on the Llanstephan gauge. Anglers are requested to notify the Foundation if you find canoeists breaking the access arrangements, especially if it is an identifiable group such as a canoe club or university.

A delightful days fishing but I didn't catch anything, despite alternating between a spinning and fly rod. There's always next year for my next salmon (the last time I caught a salmon was on the River Wye in 1992).